Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – Dr. Schwartz Says Not for Majority to Decide

Dr. Schwartz is a well-respected expert in the field of relationships – she holds different views than I do, but hey, that doesn’t make a person right or wrong. But in the case of her latest blog, her thinking is a bit scary – if not the majority, who? The minority?

Dr. Schwartz recently blogged on “Justice for Marriage Rights: It’s not for the majority to decide!” Throughout she suggests how the majority of America was wrong when it came to interracial marriage, slavery, etc – I’d agree – but what does that have to do with same-sex marriage?

Quote:

Reading the publicity on the gay marriage decision I am struck by the fact that the losing side of the argument believes that gay marriage should be decided by referendum. If people vote for it, it should happen, if people don’t, it shouldn’t.
That is the way people used to feel about slavery. There were slave states and free states. And that is also the way people used to feel about interracial marriage. Let each state decide for itself. Interracial marriage was illegal in some states and legal in others. Not until the civil war did we say that our nation could not endure with slavery- no matter what the slave-legal states wanted -and not until the relatively recent Supreme Court case of Loving v Virginia, did interracial marriage become legal throughout the United States.

When it comes to our military, it is important that we look at this carefully. There is a case in Idaho where a Lt. COL is being “prosecuted” because of his desire to have sex with men – the challenge is, he is a highly decorated and accomplished warrior. The military doesn’t want to lose him because he holds value, however, he broke the military standard. What does one do?

SEC of Defense Gates is carefully considering how to tackle this issue as well – if the DADT is eliminated, will this require separate berthing? And how will the straight soldiers, which still hold the majority, deal with those who are prone to like the same sex?

If America isn’t ready to embrace, then why push it? Now, as I write this, I realize I sound like one who could have advocated for segregation and against inter-racial marriages – far from it – so don’t try to make the connection. Color isn’t an issue for me if you are of opposite sex; explaining to my daughters how it’s okay for two women or two men to kiss and hold hands – that’s a different story (and I write this knowing I could offend family).